South Florida Forecast
July 25, 2024
By Capt. Alan Sherman
Capt. Alan Sherman covers Deerfield Beach to Key Largo & Flamingo to Cape Sable, including Pompano Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami and Homestead. Contact info: shermana@bellsouth.net ; (786)436-2064; www.getemsportfishing.com
Action Spotter Podcast
July 26-28 Report Deerfield Beach to Key Largo & Flamingo to Cape Sable
NOAA Weather is forecasting winds to be out of the east to southeast at 5 to 10 knots throughout the weekend.
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Pompano Beach, Port Everglades, Haulover, Government Cut to Ocean Reef
Look for snook to be feeding in the ocean inlets on the last of the outgoing tide just before dark. Fish a large shrimp, live pilchard, pinfish or threadfin herring near the bottom and you should get a number of hookups from the snook, plus tarpon, snappers, jack crevalles and yellowjacks. Snook are out of season but can be caught if released quickly. The offshore bite has seen a lot of bonitos, a few kingfish, barracudas, an occasional sailfish, and plenty of sharks biting just outside the outer reef. The best bite is happening early in the morning. The fish are eating on live baits, fresh ballyhoo and vertical jigs. High-speed trolling just outside the outer reef out to 200 feet of water produced a number of wahoo this past week. Dolphin fish continue to be scattered offshore. The dolphins were mostly legal-size fish to about 10 pounds. Look for the dolphins outside of 600 feet of water out past 1,000 feet of water. The dolphins have been under birds, under floating debris and along weed lines. Daytime wreck fishing is producing nice catches of vermillion and yelloweye snappers when the currents allow. Hit the wrecks in 160 feet out to 350 feet of water and fish cut squid on the bottom for the snappers. The nighttime snapper fishing continues to be good. The catch has been made up of mangrove, yellowtail and mutton snappers. The snappers are being caught over rocky bottom in depths between 45 feet of water out to 90 feet of water. The fish were eating cut squid, ballyhoo, Spanish sardines, and silversides. Low tide at Government Cut Friday night will be at 7:18.
North Biscayne Bay
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Sea trout have been biting along the outer edges of the sea grass flats in North Bay. The trout have been biting live shrimp and pilchards under a Cajun Thunder float and the NLBN jig heads and 3-inch paddle tails. Mangrove snappers and small barracudas are feeding on the flats. Snook and small- to medium-size tarpons are biting in the brackish waters near Haulover Inlet, the Oleta River and up into Maule Lake. Live mullets and pilchards have been getting the strikes. Nighttime snook and tarpon action has been decent along the bridge shadow lines and along the lighted dock lights in the bay. These fish have been jumping on a large live shrimp or artificial shrimp. Low tide at Indian Creek Saturday morning is at 9:36.
South Bay
Look for bonefish and permits to be tailing and hungry early in the morning. The Oceanside flats and the flats in South Bay have all been holding fish, especially during the last hour of the outgoing and the first hours of the incoming tides. The Finger Channels and patch reefs have been providing action from small snappers, grunts and jacks. Live pilchards and shrimp fished near the bottom while chumming with frozen chum is how the fish are being caught. Low tide at Soldier Key on Saturday will be at 9:06 in the morning.
Flamingo
High water in Florida Bay will have the snook, reds and tarpons high on the flats and way up to the mangroves. From a shallow drafting skiff work the potholes and runoffs with weedless soft plastics. Along the mangrove shorelines, a shrimp under a noisy Cajun Thunder will get these fish to come out from the cover. Sea trout and mangrove snappers have been eating soft plastics and chunks of pinfish in the channels and over the deeper grass flats south of Sandy Key. A few big tarpons are in the area and willing to eat a live pinfish under a float. The shorelines north of Middle Cape and in the creeks and rivers have had snook, redfish and a few tarpons to target. The waters of the backcountry of Oyster and Whitewater Bay have been providing action from small tarpons and snook. Hit the shorelines that have schools of small minnows with the NLBN jig heads tipped with a 3-inch paddle tail for these fish. High tide at Flamingo in Florida Bay on Saturday will be at 8:30 AM and at the mouth of Shark River high tide is at 6:37 AM.
Capt. Alan Sherman shermana@bellsouth.net www.getemsportfishing.com
PREVIOUS REPORTS July 19-21 Report Deerfield Beach to Key Largo & Flamingo to Cape Sable
I need to apologize to everyone that reads this fishing report. I’m not sure how it happened but it seems that the tides I posted were not right. I found out maybe like you did when on Saturday on my way to Flamingo, expecting a low tide in Florida Bay in the morning I actually had a high tide. With that said I am sorry. Use my report as a guide to help you wherever you choose to fish but do your due diligence and double check. There will be a full moon on Monday.
Pompano Beach, Port Everglades, Haulover, Government Cut to Ocean Reef
The snook fishing in the ocean inlets during the daytime and at night has been good. The snook are out of season but can be targeted for catch and release. The best baits have been live shrimp, pinfish, pilchards, and threadfin herrings fished close to the bottom. Flare Hawk jigs bounced off the bottom is a good choice if you like artificial baits. The offshore bite has slowed unless you hit the water at sunup. The bite is over by about 10 AM. During the early mornings, kingfish, bonitos, small blackfin tunas, barracudas, and a few wahoo are being caught. Live baits fished near the surface or fresh drifted Spanish sardines and ballyhoos fished a few feet below the surface is how to get these fish. Trolling Sea Witches tipped with a strip of bonito belly and using a planer to get the bait deeper in the water column can help you stay on the bite later into the day. The best depths to target is 100 to 200 feet of water. Dolphin fishing had been hit and miss but picked up this past week. The best catches have been made out past 600 feet of water when floating debris is located. Under the floating debris, legal size dolphins and some decent size tripletails are being caught. Otherwise, smaller dolphins are being caught under diving terns and along weedlines. Daytime bottom fishing over the deeper wrecks has produced some snowy groupers. Large mutton snappers are being caught over the shallower wrecks. Squid baits are getting the snowy grouper bites and live ballyhoo, chunks of speedos, and cut bonito strips is getting the mutton bites. Nighttime reef fishing continues to produce limited catches of snappers. The snappers are biting cut baits in depths from 45 feet of water out to 90 feet of water. High tide at Government Cut Friday night will be at 8:17
North Biscayne Bay
Sea trout continue to be the most productive bay species to target. The trout can be caught over the grass flats in the bay early in the day. Once the sun gets up high the sea trout move to deeper waters along the edges of the flats. Live shrimp or pilchards fished under a Cajun Thunder float or the NLBN 3” paddle tail soft plastics are good choices for these fish. A few barracudas and snappers are mixed in with the trout. Snook and small tarpons have been biting north of Haulover Inlet. Look for these fish in the Oleta River area north to the Lehman Causeway. Live pilchards is a good choice for these fish. High tide at Indian Creek Saturday morning is at 9:30.
South Bay
The Finger Channels have been producing some nice action from yellowjacks and jack crevalles. The NLBN 4” mullet with a weedless BKK 2/0 hook has been my go to bait for these fish. Long casts and quick retrieved will get the fish excited. High water over the shallow bonefish flats means the fish will be feeding way up on the flats early in the morning and then late in the afternoon. Look for tailing fish over the skinniest waters and cast a large shrimp in their direction. High tide at Soldier Key on Saturday will be at 8:47 in the morning.
Flamingo
As I stated earlier in this report, I had expected a low tide in the morning in Florida Bay this past weekend but soon realized that it was a high falling g tide. With that information I changed my plans and fished the coast from Curry Key north to East Cape and had plenty of action from snook, redfish, sea trout, snappers, ladyfish, and a few catfish. I had two of the BKK hook companies representatives onboard and used BKK hooks with shrimp and BKK weedless worm hooks with the NLBN 4” mullets. Casting to the shorelines and downed trees the Klaus from Germany caught his first redfish, snook and sea trouts for a backcountry slam. He was using live shrimp fished under a Cajun Thunder float and Michele from Germany fished the weedless mullets catching redfish and snook. The fish continued to bite till the tide forced us away from the shorelines. After that the big thunderstorms forced us back to the boat ramp. The inside side waters of Whitewater and Oyster Bay have been buggy but productive for snook, redfish, sea trout, and small tarpons. The island points and shorelines have had the best action. Low tide at Flamingo in Florida Bay on Saturday will be at 9:34 AM and at the mouth of Shark River low tide is at 7:37 AM.
Capt. Alan Sherman shermana@bellsouth.net www.getemsportfishing.com
July 12-14 Report Deerfield Beach to Key Largo & Flamingo to Cape Sabl e
NOAA Weather is forecasting winds to be out of the southeast to east at 10 to 15 knots throughout the weekend! There will be an extra lobster mini-season on Sunday for Florida residents.
Pompano Beach, Port Everglades, Haulover, Government Cut to Ocean Reef
Snook fishing in the ocean inlets has been good on the outgoing tides. Snook are out of season so they must be released after catching. The snook are biting large live shrimp, pinfish and pilchards. The best action has been along the rocky shorelines and the drop-offs into the channels. The offshore bite has been tough. A few kings, bonitos, wahoo, barracudas, blackfin tuna and sharks are being caught just outside the outer reef to about 300 feet of water. Quality live baits have been tough to come by. Trolling Sea Witches tipped with a bonito strip either near the surface or deeper in the water column with the help of a planer not only covers a lot of water but is producing a lot of the strikes. Dolphin fishing has been dreadfully slow. A nice weedline developed midweek in about 600 feet of water but there was no life in it. The few dolphins caught this past week were small and under terns. Daytime reef and deck fishing produced a few nice mutton snappers, yellowtails and amberjacks. The nighttime reef fishing has been very good for mangrove and yellowtail snappers. A few mutton snappers and plenty of grunts made up the rest of the catch. Cut bait fished with the lightest weights it takes to get to the bottom is producing the most fish. The reefs in 45 to 50 feet of water are producing best. High tide at Government Cut Friday night will be at 6:20.
North Biscayne Bay
Sea trout and mangrove snappers have been the best bets this week in North Bay. The best action has been early in the morning and on overcast days. The fish are biting along the drop-off edges of the grass flats where the water is a little deeper and where there is a tidal flow. A live pilchard if you can find some fished free-lined or from under a Cajun Thunder float has caught both of these fish in decent numbers. Casting a jig head tipped with a Gulp shrimp is getting the fish for the artificial fishermen. The NLBN jig head tipped with 3-inch soft plastic is another artificial that’s catching fish. The nighttime snook and tarpon bite has been fair. Look for these fish to be holding along the bay bridge shadow lines and under lighted dock lights. High tide at Indian Creek Saturday morning is at 8:09.
South Bay
Big jack crevalles and nice-sized yellowjacks are roaming the Finger Channels. Chumming the channels with live pilchards is one way to locate the fish. Once they start popping your chum baits you can pitch them a live bait or cast a BLBN mullet at them. Either way, you should get some quick hookups. Once fish are feeding on the oceanside flats during the last hour of the outgoing tides and during the first two hours of the incoming tides. Look for tailing fish during these tidal stages and then cast a live shrimp in their direction. High tide at Soldier Key on Saturday will be at 7:26 in the morning.
Flamingo
Look for snook and redfish to be feeding along the sides of the Florida Bay channels. Both of these fish will strike a live shrimp on a jig head or a live shrimp fished under a Cajun Thunder float. Once the tide starts to flood the flats, both of these fish will move up onto the flats. Plenty of sharks are in these areas and can be caught with a big chunk of ladyfish or mullet. Tarpons have been feeding on mullets along the coast. Snook are holding at the mouths of the canals, rivers and creeks. Sea trout are feeding in the channels in the Sandy Key area. Look for the mullet muds and that’s where the trout will be. The inside waters of Oyster and Whitewater Bays have had good numbers of snook, redfish, sea trout, snappers, and Goliath groupers to target. Fish the mangrove shorelines along the islands paying close attention to the island points and downed trees. Low tide at Flamingo in Florida Bay on Saturday will be at 9:28 AM and at the mouth of Shark River low tide is at 6:32 AM.
Capt. Alan Sherman shermana@bellsouth.net www.getemsportfishing.com
July 4-7 Report Deerfield Beach to Key Largo & Flamingo to Cape Sable
NOAA Weather is forecasting winds to be out of the southeast to east at 5 to 10 knots throughout the weekend. There will be a new moon Friday.
Pompano Beach, Port Everglades, Haulover, Government Cut to Ocean Reef
Large tarpons have been feeding in the ocean inlets at night. The top bait this week was a frisky live mullet. The offshore bite had been fair this past week. Along the outer reef a few kingfish, lots of bonitos, barracudas, and a few wahoos were caught. The depths between 90 to 200 feet of water is where this action has been. On the bottom in these depths a few mutton snappers, vermillion snappers, and red groupers were caught on squid, bonito strips, and live pilchards. Blackfin tuna, small, have been caught over some of the deeper artificial reefs. Vertical jigs was what many used to catch the tunas. Dolphin fish thinned out and moved much further offshore. If you’re looking for dolphins start looking once you get outside of 600 feet of water. As you head offshore keep an eye out for diving terns, frigate birds, floating debris, and weedlines. The nighttime bottom fishing has been good for mangrove, mutton, and yellowtail snappers. Grunts, bluerunners, and toros has made up a big part of the catch. Cut squid, Spanish sardines, and silversides have been the top bottom baits. Hit the reefs in 25 to 90 feet of water. High tide at Government Cut Friday night will be at 9:30.
North Biscayne Bay
Big schools of mullets have been moving around the bay. If you can find a school, there is a good chance you will see tarpons, snook, big jack crevalles, barracudas, sharks, and sea trout feeding on them. Nighttime tarpon and snook fishing has been good in the ocean inlets, along the shadow lines along the bay bridges, and under lighted rocks. Live mullets, pinfish, and shrimp were the top baits. High tide at Indian Creek Saturday morning is at 10:47.
South Bay
Bonefishing continues to be good over the shallow flats both on the ocean side and along the western shorelines of South Bay. The best action has been early in the mornings and then again late in the afternoons. A few permits and tarpons have been feeding over these flats. Use a large shrimp for the bonefish, a silver dollar size blue crabs for the permits and tarpon. The Finger Channels have had an assortment of small snappers, grunts, barracudas, and jacks to catch. Live shrimp has been the top bait in the channels. High tide at Soldier Key on Saturday will be at 10:04 in the morning.
Flamingo
Plenty of snook, nice redfish, jacks, ladyfish, and sharks have been biting along the sides of the flats in Florida Bay. The best action has been during g the last two hours of the outgoing tides. On a recent charter my clients caught six redfish to 22 inches and a 15 inch black drum using a live shrimp fished under a Cajun Thunder float. They also had 20 snook to 26 inches using 3” NLBN paddle tail and a 1/4 ounce jig head. There were plenty of jacks, ladyfish, and sharks to be caught. Quite a few snook and sharks can be caught along the outside shorelines from East Cape North to Shark River. Hot the points of the creek mouths, the river mouths and the bars along the outside. A live shrimp on a jig head works well in these areas. The inside waters of Coot Bay, Whitewater Bay and Oyster Bay have been very buggy. High tide at Flamingo in Florida Bay on Saturday will be at 5:05 AM and at the mouth of Shark River low tide is at 8:47 AM.
Capt. Alan Sherman shermana@bellsouth.net www.getemsportfishing.com
June 28-30 Report Deerfield Beach to Key Largo & Flamingo to Cape Sable
NOAA Weather is forecasting winds to be out of the east southeast at 5 to 10 knots late Friday. The remainder of the weekend winds are forecasted to be out of the east at 5 to 10 knots.
Pompano Beach, Port Everglades, Haulover, Government Cut to Ocean Reef
Snook fishing should be good in the ocean inlets during the last few hours of the outgoing tide just before the incoming tide Friday evening. Use your depth recorder and side scan to help you locate the spawning snook schools. Once you locate the fish you can drop Flare Hawk jigs to the fish, NLBN 5” and 8” jig heads tipped with 5” and 8” paddle tail soft plastics to the fish. Once they start feeding it will be game on. Snook are out of season, so catch them fast and make sure they are healthy before the release. The offshore bite has been best early in the day. Once the sun gets up high the fish have been going deep and feeding less. Add to that the big rain storms have been starting soon after 11 am and making it a bit dangerous to be on the water. Head offshore and once you reach the outside the other reef put the trollers out behind the boat. You can troll rigged ballyhoo, Sea Witches tipped with a bonito strip or hard plastic lipped plugs. Troll these baits in a slight zig zag pattern till you start getting strikes then concentrate your trolling in the depths the strikes came. Plenty of kingfish in the seven to 20 pound range, lots of bonitos, barracudas, a few wahoo, and blackfin tunas were caught this past week on the troll. Using a planer later in the day will help get your trollers to deeper waters where the fish have moved to get away from the sun and heat. Dolphin fish have been feeding in depths from 600 to 1300 feet of water. The dolphins are being caught along broken weedlines, under terns and diving frigate birds, and under floating debris. The size of the fish have been from small schoolies to fish over 30 pounds. Swordfishing has been decent both day and night. During the daytime the bite has been on the bottom in 1800 feet of water and at night the bite is taking place near the surface in depths between 1600 to 1800 feet of water. The top baits have been rigged squids, and dolphin and bonito bellies. Daytime wreck fishing is producing a mixed bag of amberjacks, mutton snappers, and a few groupers. Move pinfish, goggle eye jacks, and big strips of bonitos have worked well on the bottom fish. Nighttime mangrove snapper spawning season has started over the offshore reefs in depths from 25 feet of water out to 90 feet of water. Anchoring and chumming while you fish small chunks of fresh or frozen cut baits is the way to catch these fish. Each angler is allowed five legal mangrove snappers per day. Mixed in with the mangroves have been yellowtail, lane, and mutton snappers. Low tide at Government Cut Friday night will be at 8:40.
North Biscayne Bay
North Bay waters have taken a big hit by recent rains and high water temperatures creating algae blooms, dirty water, and in some areas fish kills. Even with these obstacles there are still fish to be caught in the bay. This week while taking a walk along the western side of Biscayne Bay I counted no less than 40 small tarpons stalking a stretched out school of small minnows. Sea trout continue to bite well over the edges of the shallow grass flats in Biscayne Bay. The NLBN 3” paddle tails and a 1/4 ounce jig head is catching plenty of trout. Mangrove snappers, barracudas, and jack crevalles are mixed in with the trout. Hit the flats early before the sun gets up too high and shuts the bite down. Nighttime tarpon fishing should be good under the dock that has lights shining in the water. Check out the lighted docks on the western side of the bay. Low tide at Indian Creek Saturday morning is at 10:59.
South Bay
Bonefish, small permits, and small to medium size tarpons have been feeding along the Oceanside flats and the western shorelines of South Bay. Look the best action along the flats south of Elliott Key. The Finger Channel’s have been only fair with action from small snappers, jacks, and barracudas. Low tide at Soldier Key on Saturday will be at 10:29 in the morning.
Flamingo
Snook, small tarpons, and redfish have been feeding along the edges of the shallow flats in Florida Bay. Casting soft plastics rigged weedless or jig heads tipped with soft plastic along the edges is producing steady action from these fish. A live shrimp or pilchard fished under a Cajun Thunder float is catching sea trout, snook, redfish, and tripletails from Florida Bay north taking the shorelines to East Cape Canal. Lots of sharks are in these areas. The waters of the backcountry of Oyster and Whitewater Bays have produced lots of sea trout, small snook, redfish, Goliath groupers, and snappers. The NLBN jig heads and paddle tail soft plastics have been killing it in these areas. High tide at Flamingo in Florida Bay on Saturday will be at 10:10 AM and at the mouth of Shark River high tide is at 8:17 AM.
Capt. Alan Sherman shermana@bellsouth.net www.getemsportfishing.com
June 21-23 Report Deerfield Beach to Key Largo & Flamingo to Cape Sable
NOAA Weather is forecasting winds to be out of the east south east throughout the weekend at 15 knots late Friday and Saturday then 10 to 15 knots on Sunday. Before heading out this weekend check a current marine forecast, especially because of the tropical systems that are in our area.
Pompano Beach, Port Everglades, Haulover, Government Cut to Ocean Reef
Catch-and-release snook fishing has been good in the ocean inlets. Trolling large lipped hard plastics in and around the inlets has been providing good action from the snooks, tarpon, jack crevalles, and barracudas. Along the out side of the outer reef in depths from 80 to 200 feet of water, kingfish in the seven to 15 pound range and bonitos in the ten pound range have been providing steady action. The fish have been scattered along the reef so trolling rigged baits deep with the help of a planer increases your chances of locating the fish. A full moon on Friday could result in a decent wahoo bite on the outgoing tides. A few sailfish and blackfin tunas are being caught but mostly late in the day and with live baits fished under a kite. These fish have been biting in 200 to 300 feet of water. Dolphin fish continue to be caught in numbers. The dolphins are being caught in areas where diving terns are found. Some dolphins are being caught under floating debris and others are being caught along weedlines. Look for the dolphins in depths between 700 feet of water out past 1000 feet of water. During the day, on the bottom, decent size mutton snappers, amberjacks, and a few groupers were being caught on a variety of live baits and on bonito strips fished close to the bottom structure. A decent current is necessary to keep you baits stretched out and away from your heavy lead sinker. At night over the reefs in 45 to 90 feet of water, mangrove snappers and yellowtail snappers are being caught in silversides and cut Spanish sardines and ballyhoo. High tide at Government Cut Friday night will be at 9:28.
North Biscayne Bay
Tons and tons of freshwater has been released in North Bay through the canal systems that have salinity damns. The huge amounts of freshwater not only killed many fish on the west side of the bay but it also forced other fish to the east side of the bay where the water is saltier. Look for sea trout and mangrove snappers along the edges of the flats in the east side of the bay. Nighttime snook and tarpon action was better this week due to a shrimp run of small summer shrimp. Grab some large shrimp from your local tackle shop and toss one up under a lighted dock or into the shadow line of one our bay bridges and there is good chance a fish will be eager to eat it. High tide at Indian Creek Saturday morning is at 10:40.
South Bay
Look for big jack crevalles to roam g the Key Biscayne main channel as they look for baitfish to eat. The Finger Channels are producing a mixed bag of small snappers, jacks, grunts, and barracudas. Bonefish and small tarpons have been feeding along g the outside island flats south of Soldier’s Key. A few permits have been on these flats. A large live shrimp will catch the bonefish and tarpons eye while a small crab will get you that permit. High tide at Soldier Key on Saturday will be at 9:57 in the morning.
Flamingo
Anyone interested in fishing the Florida Bay side out of Flamingo might be hit with the site of lots of floating grass. If this is the case fishing anywhere in the area of the floating grass might be very difficult. Keep your baits and artificial lures clear of the grass might be impossible. The best bet from the outside might be to fish in the creeks and canals of East Cape canal, Middle Cape, the Sable creeks, and the rivers near Shark River. In these areas you should find, snook, redfish, sea trout, snappers, tarpons, and tripletails. The I side waters of Whitewater and Oyster Bays continue to produce catches of tarpon, snook, redfish, snappers, sea trout, Goliath groupers, jacks, ladyfish, and lots of small barracudas. The No Live Bait Needed jig heads tipped with a soft plastic tail has been providing plenty of action from all of these fish. Low tide at Flamingo in Florida Bay on Saturday will be at 10:41 AM and at the mouth of Shark River low tide is at 8:35 AM.
Capt. Alan Sherman shermana@bellsouth.net www.getemsportfishing.com
June 14-16 Report Deerfield Beach to Key Largo & Flamingo to Cape Sable
After a week of drenching downpours, NOAA Weather is forecasting winds to be out of the east southeast at 5 to 10 knots late Friday through Sunday. There will be a decent chance of rain or thunderstorms throughout this weekend.
Pompano Beach, Port Everglades, Haulover, Government Cut to Ocean Reef
Snook fishing day and night for catch and release has been good in and around the ocean inlets. Some of the best fishing is taking place during the outgoing tides when the waters are a bit dingy. The top baits for the snook have been pinfish, large shrimps, live threadfin herrings, and your favorite soft plastics like the NLBN jig heads and soft plastic tails. Offshore along the outer reef in depths between 100 to 200 feet of water, kingfish in the five to 20 pound range have been biting. The best bite has been from first light till about 10 AM. Trolling feathers tipped with a strip of bonito belly deep with the use of a planer will help you get your bait to the depth the kings are feeding. This same technique will get you strikes from bonitos, wahoo, tuna, and barracudas. A few sailfish have been caught and released in the same depths by fishermen fishing live baits under a kite. Dolphin fish have been biting but have been hit or miss with anglers. Dolphins are being found in depths from 600 feet out past 2000 feet of water. Look for the dolphins feeding along weedlines, under floating debris, and under birds. Daytime bottom fishing continues to provide action from spawning mutton snappers and yellowtail snappers. Some of the bigger mutton snappers are coming off of artificial reefs in depths between 100 to 200 feet of water. The muttons are eating live baits and plugs of ballyhoo and bonito strips. The yellowtail snappers are being caught on cut baits in depths between 40 to 100 feet of water. The nighttime reef fishing has seen more mangrove snappers as part of the catch. The reef catch includes mutton, yellowtail, and lane snappers plus grunts, toros, and jacks. The reefs in 60 to 90 feet of water are producing the better catches. Low tide at Government Cut Friday night will be at 9:37.
North Biscayne Bay
Recent rains have turned the western parts of the bay very brackish. Snook, small tarpons, jacks, sharks, and ladyfish have stationed themselves in areas where lots of freshwater has stunned the local baitfish making them easy targets for a quick meal. In some cases freshwater baitfish get caught up with the released freshwater from freshwater canals and end up in the bay, and end up as an easy meal for a hungry fish. Hit the mouths of these canals and you could have a lot of fun catching these fish. Sea trout can still be targeted along the edges of the grass flats in North Bay. With the recent rains water temperatures are cooler and you will find sea trout and snappers higher up on the flats where you can target these fish with top water lures and jig heads tipped with a soft plastic tail. Nighttime snook and tarpon action has been fair around dock lights and bridge shadow lines. A large live shrimp cast close to a dock light fish most likely would get scarfed down in a second. Low tide at Indian Creek Saturday morning is at 11:52.
South Bay
Big rains should push snook and baby tarpons out of the residential canals in South Bay. Hit the outside of these canals with live baits and soft plastics and you might be catching catch and release snook and tarpons all day. The Finger Channels might have some decent snapper fishing this weekend. Mutton snappers have been biting, mostly offshore but you might find a few decent ones in the channels. The islands along the Oceanside of South Bay have had small tarpons to target. As you approach the coves along the islands look for rolling tarpons. Cast soft plastics at these fish. Bonefish and a few large permits are feeding on the incoming tides along the Oceanside flats. Have some large shrimp for the bonefish and a few silver dollar size crabs for the permits. Low tide at Soldier Key on Saturday will be at 11:22 in the morning.
Flamingo
The big south winds and tons of rain will make the Florida Bay and backcountry waters tough for fishing this weekend. If I had to fish Flamingo this weekend I would run the inside waters out to the outside rivers as I target snook, redfish, and sea trout. If you’re transporting live shrimp through the backcountry you might want to cap your live wells filled with food salty water. Once you hit Buttonwood Canal and Coot Bay, chances is that the water will be so fresh that your shrimp will die. Low tide at Flamingo in Florida Bay on Saturday will be at 6:19 AM and at the mouth of Shark River high tide is at 9:07 AM.
Capt. Alan Sherman shermana@bellsouth.net www.getemsportfishing.com
June 7 - 9 Report Deerfield Beach to Key Largo & Flamingo to Cape Sable
NOAA Weather is forecasting winds to be out of the southwest at 10 to 15 knots late Friday. Saturday and Sunday winds are forecasted to be out of the west southwest at 10 to 15 knots.
Pompano Beach, Port Everglades, Haulover, Government Cut
Tarpon fishing g has been pretty good along the Oceanside beaches. Drifting medium size live blue crabs in areas that you can see tarpons rolling or when you see tarpons on you depth recorders is the way to go to get a shot at a silver king. The inlets have had some snook and jack crevalles to target. Kingfish to 20 pounds are being caught on live goggle eyes and threadfin herrings when free lined or fished under a kite. The kings are feeding during the first few hours of the mornings outside the ocean inlets and in depths between 90 to 160 feet of water. A few sailfish, blackfin tuna, mahi mahi, and wahoo were caught in depths between 120 and 260 feet of water. Much further offshore in depths from 900 to 2000 feet mahi mahi were scattered. Find some diving frigates or terns and your chances improve dramatically. Mutton snappers, amberjacks, and a few groupers continue to be caught over wrecks and rock piles in depths from 90 to 260 feet of water. Nighttime reef fishing has been good when the conditions have cooperated with fishermen. On calmer nights that have had fishable currents, yellowtail, mutton, and mangrove snappers have been biting cut bait over the reefs in 80 to 100 feet of water.
High tide at Government Cut Friday night will be at 10:32.
North Biscayne Bay
Water temperatures dropped a few degrees with the scattered rain that we have had recently. The cooler waters unfortunately did not change the fishing in the bay much. Sea trout continue to provide steady action in the bay. Casting artificial lures along the edges of the flats is your best bet at getting some action from the sea trout. The sea trout are still spawning so keep that in mind when you land them. Lots of mangrove snappers are on the flats but most are under 10 inches. At night shrimp have been running but they are much smaller. The small to medium size tarpons don’t seem to mind and have been ambushing them when they swim under a bay bridge or slide by a lighted dock light. This action has been happening on the outgoing tide. Low tide at Indian Creek Saturday morning is at 5:59.
South Bay
Look for bonefish, permits, and tarpons over the shallow flats between Elliott Key and Ocean Reef. This is a great time to catch all three in one day so have shrimp for the bonefish,and crabs for the permits onboard plus some soft plastics for the tarpons. The Finger Channels have been slow due to a lack of live pilchards and hot water. Low tide at Soldier Key on Saturday will be at 5:29 in the morning.
Flamingo
The waters of Florida Bay have been a bit green due to an algae bloom. I’m not sure how it has affected the fish but it does make keeping your lines clean when your fishing live baits and artificial lures. Most guys have been fishing further north and having better luck. Along the shoreline Ed that have dead trees slightly underwater, snook, redfish, and sea trout are biting live shrimp, pilchards, and the NLBN artificial baits. Big tripletails have been schooled up on some of these trees. On Wednesday my son Zach and I landed six tripletails. These fish averaged 7 pounds and quite a few others were lost after throwing g the NLBN jig heads that were tipped with a 3 inch paddle tail soft plastic. On the inside waters of Oyster Bay and Whitewater Bay we had action from snook, loads of sea trout, snappers, ladyfish, jacks, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, and Goliath groupers. High tide at Flamingo in Florida Bay on Saturday will be at 6:03 AM and at the mouth of Shark River low tide is at 9:43 AM.
Capt. Alan Sherman shermana@bellsouth.net www.getemsportfishing.com
May 31-June 2 Report Deerfield Beach to Key Largo & Flamingo to Cape Sable
NOAA Weather is forecasting winds to be out of the east northeast at 15 to 20 knots and possibly 25 knots late Friday. Saturday winds are forecast to be out of the northeast to east at 20 knots and Sunday winds are forecast to be out of the least at 15 to 20 knots.
Pompano Beach, Port Everglades, Haulover, Government Cut to Ocean Reef
The ocean inlets have had some jack crevalles, small tarpons, snook, and barracudas to target. Live pilchards and shrimp have been the top baits for these fish along with the NLBN jig heads tipped with a 3” paddle tail soft plastic. Kingfish to 20 pounds and bonitos in the ten pound class are being caught just outside the outer reef line. The depths between 100 to 260 feet of water is producing the most fish. A few sailfish and an occasional wahoo have been caught in the same depths. Dolphin fish that were plentiful have almost disappeared. The best dolphin catches this week were caught outside of 1000 feet of water. Daytime bottom fishing produced some decent size mutton snappers. The muttons were caught over artificial wrecks in depths between 90 to 160 feet of water. Nighttime reef fishing has been very good for yellowtail snappers. The reefs in 80 to 90 feet of water are producing the best catches. Low tide at Government Cut Friday night will be at 10:04.
North Biscayne Bay
Bay waters are averaging 88 degrees and that’s pretty hot for most bay fish. The only fish that was willing to bite for my clients this week were sea trout. The trout bite was consistent and the fish were mostly slot size. The edges of the flats in the bay have been producing the most action. Nighttime snook and tarpon action was only fair this week. High tide at Indian Creek Saturday morning is at 5:41.
South Bay
Bonefishing has been best on the early and late incoming tides. Thot won’t happen this week. The Finger Channels were slow due to the warm waters. Large jack crevalles were chasing and eating baitfish in the Key Biscayne main channel. Look for the frigate birds that have been hovering overhead of the jacks. These jacks will eat a baitfish artificial. Low tide at Soldier Key on Saturday will be at 11:52 in the morning.
Flamingo
Windy conditions in Florida Bay might make fishing the flats a challenge. If you can find some clean waters in the morning that is where the snake, redfish, and tarpons should be. Sea trout have been in Conchie Channel and Palm Key Channel. Snook has been schooled up around the outside creek and canal mouths. When catching these spawning fish, make sure that the fish is healthy before you release them. Big bull and lemon sharks are there waiting for an easy meal. The inside waters continue to produce steady action from snook, snappers, redfish, and sea trout. These fish have been feeding along the island shorelines and points. Live shrimp under a Cajun Thunder float and jig heads tipped with soft plastics are producing steady action from these fish. Low tide at Flamingo in Florida Bay on Saturday will be at 6:46 AM and at the mouth of Shark River high tide is at 9:54 AM.
Capt. Alan Sherman shermana@bellsouth.net www.getemsportfishing.com
May 24-26 Report Deerfield Beach to Key Largo & Flamingo to Cape Sable
NOAA Weather is forecasting winds to be out of the east southeast at 5 to 10 knots late Friday. Saturday winds are forecasted to start out at 5 to 10 knots out of the south then pick up to 10 to 15 out of the south in the afternoon. Sunday winds are forecasted to be south southeast at 10 to 15. Expect the waters to be busy in Miami due to the Air and Sea and Show.
Pompano Beach, Port Everglades, Haulover, Government Cut to Ocean Reef
Tarpon fishing has been good during the late afternoons and into the night. The bite is happening along the Oceanside beaches just outside the swim buoys.
The top tarpon baits have been medium size blue crabs and live mullets. The offshore fishing continues to be good but challenging. Finding quality live baits is a problem. If you have large live threadfin herrings and pilchards then you have great opportunities at scoring big blackfin tuna, kingfish, wahoo, bonitos, sailfish and dolphin fish.
Flying a kite and fishing one or two baits under the kite while you fish a bait on the surface and maybe one deep will help you get more strikes. If you don’t have the live bait then trolling rigged ballyhoos, Sea Witches tipped with a strip of bonito belly, and silver and blue drone spoons on the surface and deep with the help of a planer might be your next best bet at getting the fish.
The best action is happening in depths from 100 feet of water out to 300 feet of water. Look for a blue water edge or weedlines between these depths and fish near the edges of the current rips. Dolphin fish have been caught in depths from 200 feet of water out to over 1000 feet of water. Many dolphin fish catches are coming while fishing for other fish. A couple of dolphins just show up and eat your kite baits. Otherwise, only a few dolphins are being caught along weedlines but a few anglers have done well when spotting a piece of floating debris that hadn’t been fished yet.
Some wahoo have been under these pieces of debris. A vertical jig often will get that wahoo or it might bring a school of dolphins to the surface. Bottom fishing for mutton snappers has been good on many of the wrecks in 100 to 150 feet of water. Live ballyhoo fished near the bottom is getting the muttons plus a few nice groupers. Nighttime reef fishing is getting a mixed bag of snappers, grunts, bluerunners, and toros. High tide at Government Cut Friday night will be at 10:31.
North Biscayne Bay
Fishing in the bay has been only fair. Sea trout, mangrove snappers, and barracudas have been the top catches this past week. Fishing the sides of the grass flats that have a decent tidal flow is producing the better catches. Casting jig heads tipped with a soft plastic or a NLBN jig head with a 3” paddle tail is getting quite a few strikes and fish. A live shrimp under a Cajun Thunder float is always a go to rig when fishing sea trout. Keep popping the float for best results. Snook have been in the ocean inlets for catch and release action. A live bait is best in the inlets when fishing for snook. Jack crevalles and barracudas will provide done action as well. Nighttime snook and tarpon fishing has been fair in the bay. Low tide at Indian Creek Saturday morning is at 5:51.
South Bay
Calmer conditions this weekend should provide some great opportunities at catching a grand slam over the shallow flats of South Bay. The morning incoming tide should provide many opportunities at sight fishing tailing bonefish over the flats between Soldiers Key south to Ocean Reef. Once you have the bonefish start looking for the tarpon. Keep an eye out for rolling fish and get a live pilchard or crab in front of the tarpon. After the tarpon and once the tide starts going out look for that black sickle fin that would be mister permit. A silver dollar size blue crabs cast in front of that tailing fish and slowly reeled to the fish might get you that grand slam. The Finger Channels continue to provide action from small snappers, grunts, jacks, sharks, and barracuda. Live shrimp, pilchards, and cut baits will get these fish on your hook. Low tide at Soldier Key on Saturday will be at 5:21 in the morning.
Flamingo
High water in the morning in Florida Bay will provide many opportunities at spotting snook, redfish, and tarpons on top or near the sides of the shallow flats in Florida Bay. Casting top water artificial or soft plastics at waking, tailing fish or fish sitting in a pot hole are all possible on the high water. Look for sea trout, mangrove snappers, jacks, ladyfish and tarpons in the channels and over the flats south of Sandy Key. As you travel from one location to another look for free floating tripletails. A live shrimp or small artificial lure is all it takes to get one of these tasty fish. The shorelines from East Cape Canal north to Lostmans River have had tarpons, snook, sea trout, and redfish. Casting artificials at downed trees is catching many of these fish. A live mullet fished behind the boat is getting the tarpons. Lots of lemon and bull sharks are patrolling these waters. The inside waters of Whitewater and Oyster Bays are providing plenty of action from snook, redfish, snappers, ladyfish, and jacks. Casting jig heads tipped with a soft plastic at downed trees and points that have a tidal flow are providing plenty of action. High tide at Flamingo in Florida Bay on Saturday will be at 5:56 AM and at the mouth of Shark River low tide is at 9:24 AM.
Capt. Alan Sherman shermana@bellsouth.net www.getemsportfishing.com
May 17-19 Report Deerfield Beach to Key Largo & Flamingo to Cape Sable
NOAA Weather is forecasting winds to be out of the south to southwest at 15 to 20 knots this weekend. The seas will be calmer but it should be pretty hot.
Pompano Beach, Port Everglades, Haulover, Government Cut to Ocean Reef
Snook and jacks have been feeding along the jetties and under the Oceanside bridges. Live shrimp and jig heads tipped with a Gulp shrimp have been getting the bites. Lots of barracudas are hanging out at the tips of the jetties. Tarpons have been eating crabs and mullets just outside the swim buoys. Kingfish and bonitos have been biting from day break till about 11 AM. Drifting ballyhoo and Spanish sardines with a little weight is getting kings and bonitos. The magic depth has been between 80 to 260 feet of water. The guys trolling these depths with Sea Witches tipped with a bonito strip or a large silver and blue drone spoon and a planer are getting the most fish. Sailfish and blackfin tunas have been biting. These fish are taking live baits fished under a kite. The tunas and sailfish are biting best early and late in the day. Look for these fish in depths between 120 to 300 feet of water. Some serious weed lines have been sliding by our coast. Some of these lines had dolphin fish in them and could be found as shallow as 400 feet of water but with the west winds the lines have been blown further offshore. Many of the deeper wrecks have been holding small to medium size blackfin tunas. Vertical jigs have been catching the tunas. Big mutton snappers and a few groupers are taking live threadfin herrings, goggle eye jacks, and pinfish. Get these baits near the bottom for the best results. Nighttime reef fishing has been fair due to the windy conditions. Low tide at Government Cut Friday night will be at 11:18.
North Biscayne Bay
Fishing in North Bay has been tough this week. Big winds and very hot water temperatures have the fish looking for shade and off their feed. Sea trout have been most active at first light till about 11AM. The trout have been eating jig heads tipped with soft plastics and shrimp under a Cajun Thunder float. Concentrate your efforts on the edges of the flats and the flats that have a good tidal flow. A few snappers, jacks, and barracudas are mixed in with the trout. Snook and small tarpons have been biting at night on the outgoing tides. The best action has been along the bridge shadow lines and under lighted dock lights. A live shrimp is a good bait for these fish. High tide at Indian Creek Saturday morning is at 6:45.
South Bay
Bonefishing has been good when the winds allow you to see them. The flats along the Oceanside as well as the western shorelines that have a little wind protection have been the best for the bonefish. A few permits are working these flats so have a few silver dollar size blue crabs onboard in case a permit comes in range. The Finger Channels are producing a few jack crevalles and lots of barracudas. The jacks are chasing the few pilchards that are in the bay. Lots of barracudas are on the flats and will eat anything flashy. High tide at Soldier’s Key on Saturday will be at 6:02 in the morning.
Flamingo
Strong south and southwest winds continue to muddy up the waters of Florida Bay making catching catfish easy but snook, redfish, and sea trout, and tarpon tough. If you can find some greenish looking waters, then that is where the fish should be. The back sides of the islands that have some wind protection is your next bet at finding fish. The shorelines in East Cape canal and Middle Cape will give you some relief from the wind and tarpons, snook, redfish, and sea trout will be looking for a live shrimp or initiation shrimp to eat. If you can find a few live mullets the tarpons should jump on one fished behind the boat. The backcountry of Whitewater and Oyster Bay has been providing some action from snappers, sea trout, snook, and redfish. Casting NLBN soft plastics and jig heads tipped with a Gulp soft plastic resulted in my client catching redfish, sea trout, a 2.8 ounce lane snapper, mangrove snappers, jacks, ladyfish, and small dog snapper and barracuda. We lost the few snook we had on and the dozen mullets I netted resulted in one lost tarpon after four jumps and more sharks than you could keep track of. Low tide at Flamingo in Florida Bay on Saturday will be at 8:09 AM and at the mouth of Shark River is at 10:51 AM.
Capt. Alan Sherman shermana@bellsouth.net www.getemsportfishing.com
April 26-28 Report Deerfield Beach to Key Largo & Flamingo to Cape Sable
Check the most current marine forecast before heading offshore this weekend. NOAA Weather is forecasting winds to be out of the east northeast at 15 to 20 plus knots this weekend.
Pompano Beach, Port Everglades, Haulover, Government Cut to Ocean Reef
Tarpon fishing in the ocean inlets has been disappointing since the nighttime shrimp runs stopped. A few large jacks crevalles, big barracudas, and sharks have been feeding on mullet schools as they move through the inlets. Schools of pilchards have disappeared making live bait fishing a challenge. Threadfin herrings are being caught on the incoming tides around the inlets and next to the offshore markers. The offshore bite slowed this week with the exception of sailfish and mutton snappers. Blackfin tuna continue to be around but didn’t feed as well as last week. Maybe because of the full moon. Dolphin fish continue to be hit or miss. A decent weedline did form offshore in 300 feet of water and in 600 feet of water. These weed lines have not been consistent but have held some small to medium size dolphins. The sailfish have been biting along current rips and edges in depths between 100 to 300 feet of water. Live baits like threadfin herrings, and goggle eye jacks have been the top sailfish baits. Fishing them under a kite is getting more strikes than free lining the baits. Big blackfin tunas have eaten some of the baits intended for the sails. Not many cobias have been caught this year. A few kings and bonitos are being caught in the same depths as the sails. Big mutton snappers have started spawning over ledges and wrecks in depths between 100 to 200 feet of water. The muttons are eating chunks of goggle eye jacks, ballyhoos, and live pinfish. Nighttime reef fishing was good for yellowtail, mangrove, and mutton snappers. The best bite is happening when the current and wind is moving in the same direction. The reefs in 40 to 100 feet of water have been the best. High tide at Government Cut Friday night will be at 11:29.
North Biscayne Bay
The best bite this week was for sea trout. The trout were being caught on lice shrimp under a Cajun Thunder, jig heads tipped with Gulp shrimp, and NLBN 3” jig heads and a twisted T’s paddle tail soft plastics. A few jacks, snappers, and barracudas were caught while fishing for the seat trouts. Hit your favorite grass flat in two to four feet of water. The trout are feeding on both tides. Nighttime snook and small tarpon fishing was only fair this week. Low tide at Indian Creek Saturday morning is at 6:51.
South Bay
Breezy conditions will make fishing for bonefish a challenge. Hit the Oceanside islands backside flats for your best shot at a bonefish. The Finger Channels in South Bay has had some action from mangrove snappers, yellowjacks, barracudas, and sharks. Live shrimp and cut frozen baits have been the best baits to fish in the channels. Low tide at Soldier Key on Saturday will be at 6:21 in the morning.
Flamingo
Snook, redfish, and sea trout have been eating shrimp and pinfish fished in the channels and runoffs of Florida Bay. Tarpons, ladyfish, snappers, bluefish, jacks, and large sea trout over the banks near Sandy Key. The tarpons have been eating live mullets, pinfish, and pilchards. Along the shorelines north of East Cape canal, snook, redfish, tarpons, and sharks have been eating an assortment of baits. The inside waters of Oyster and Whitewater Bays have had snook, redfish, and snappers feeding along the islands and points. Sea trout are being caught over hard bottom bars. High tide at Flamingo in Florida Bay on Saturday will be at 6:48 AM and at the mouth of Shark River low tide is at 10:02 AM.
Capt. Alan Sherman shermana@bellsouth.net www.getemsportfishing.com
April 19-21 Report Deerfield Beach to Key Largo & Flamingo to Cape Sable
NOAA Weather is forecasting winds to be out of the east southeast at 5 to 10 knots late Friday and all day Saturday. Sunday winds are forecasted to be southeast to south at 10 to 15 knots.
Pompano Beach, Port Everglades, Haulover, Government Cut to Ocean Reef
Tarpon fishing continues to be good in and around the ocean inlets. The best bite has been at night and the tarpons are eating more crabs and live mullets now than shrimp. A few permits have been eating the crabs. The offshore bite slowed a bit this week, maybe due to the strong winds early in the week. Now that the winds have layed down I expect the offshore fishing to get back to where it should be. Sailfish continue to be in good numbers.
The kite fishermen have been doing the best on the sails. The sailfish have been traveling as singles and also in small groups. Having a handful of baits dangling from one or two kites gives you a shot at more than one hookup at a time. Quite a few wahoos have been around and eating kite baits and trolled hard plastics, feathers and Sea Witches tipped with a strip of bonito belly. Large blackfin tuna have been taking some of the kite baits in the late afternoon.
Dolphin fish in the 3- to 15-pound range have tracked down the struggling kite baits and eaten every one. Kingfish and bonitos are still around but not in big numbers. The bite is taking place early and late in the day. The best areas to target is depths between 90 to 200 feet of water. The artificial wrecks in these depths are holding bait and that bait is drawing fish to them. Make sure to fish your kite baits in these areas. Drifting live and dead baits is producing plenty of fish. The bottom fishing for large mutton snappers has only been fair but that could change with next week’s full moon. Fish the wrecks and rocky ledges in depths between 80 to 200 feet of water for the muttons. Large amberjacks are feeding over many of the deeper wrecks. Live pinfish are getting the jack bites. Vertical jigging over the deeper wrecks and rock piles is producing amberjacks and blackfin tunas.
NOAA Weather is forecasting winds to be out of the east southeast at 5 to 10 knots late Friday and all day Saturday. Sunday winds are forecasted to be southeast to south at 10 to 15 knots.
Swordfishing during the daytime has been worth a shot. Large bonito strips fished on the bottom in 1800 feet of water is producing swordfish strikes. Keep an eye out for frigate birds while you’re heading offshore. Under the frigates might be dolphin fish over 30 pounds. Nighttime reef fishing has been fair with an assortment of snappers, jacks, bluerunners, toros, bluefish, and cobias being caught. Live and dead baits are both getting strikes. High tide at Government Cut Friday night will be at 6:53 PM.
North Biscayne Bay
Schools of mullet continue to move through the bay. At times large jack crevalles, big barracudas, and tarpons can be seen feeding on the mullets. Over the grass flats tarpons and sharks are targeting the mullet schools. Big sea trout are picking off some of the smaller mullets in the schools. Nighttime snook and tarpon action has been decent. Live shrimp and pinfish fished near the lighted docks and bridge shadow lines in the bay are some of the best spots to target the snook and tarpons. North Biscayne Bay High tide at Indian Creek Saturday morning is at 8:24.
South Bay
Bonefishing on the shallow flats of South Bay continues to be good. The flats in the Cutter Bank, Arsenicker Keys, and Totten Key area has had decent numbers of bonefish to target. A few permits are working these flats so have a few silver dollar size blue crabs in your well in case a permit tails near you. Some large sharks and barracudas are feeding on these flats. Snook have been holding under the mangrove shorelines in South Bay and can be chummed with live pilchards and then targeted with artificial baits and pilchards. The Finger Channels continue to provide action from small snappers, jacks, grunts, and barracudas. Live pilchards and shrimp are getting the strikes. Tarpons are feeding on mullets along the beach across from the Mast Academy, by the Key Biscayne Yacht Club, and in the Key Biscayne Main Channel. High tide at Soldier Key on Saturday will be at 8:06 in the morning.
Flamingo
An early morning falling tide will provide decent action for snook, redfish, sea trout, and tarpons in the Snake Bight Channel, Tin Can Channel, and Palm Key Channel. Bouncing and swimming soft plastics in these areas always provides you with action. Tarpons and sea trout have been feeding over the shallow flats south of Sandy Key. Live large pilchards, crabs, and pinfish will get you the tarpon bites and a jig head tipped with a soft plastic will keep you in the action with the trout and snappers that will be on these flats. Tarpons are feeding along the coast from East Cape north to Lostmans River. The inside waters of Oyster and Whitewater Bays has slowed. A few snook and sea trout were biting over the bars and at the island points. Low tide at Flamingo in Florida Bay on Saturday will be at 9:45 AM and at the mouth of Shark River low tide is at 6:50 AM.
Capt. Alan Sherman shermana@bellsouth.net www.getemsportfishing.com
April 12-14 Report Deerfield Beach to Key Largo & Flamingo to Cape Sable
NOAA Weather is forecasting winds to be out of the north to northeast at 15 to 25 knots late Friday. Saturday winds are forecasted to be 15 to 20 knots out of the northeast. Sunday winds are forecasted to be 15 knots out of the east.
Pompano Beach, Port Everglades, Haulover, Government Cut to Ocean Reef
The offshore bite really turned on the past few weeks due to the big winds and the spring migration of baitfish and predators. Along the beaches when the waters were dirty, pompano, bluefish and Spanish mackerel were being caught on flashy lures, and live and dead baits. Outside the outer reefs in depths between 90 to 300 feet of water, quite a few sailfish, kingfish, larger blackfin tuna, bonitos, wahoo and dolphin fish were being caught. The fishermen using kites to suspend their live threadfin herring, goggle eye jacks and horse pilchards were catching the most sails and dolphin fish. Double-digit catches of sailfish have been common. The dolphin fish have been in the three- to six-pound range with the exception of a few fish over 30 pounds taking baits intended for the sailfish and blackfin tuna. There has been a few reports of large yellowfin tunas taking a kite bait. Fishing live baits free-lined is getting fish but not as many as the kite-fished baits. The wahoos are being caught trolling drone spoons and Sea Witches tipped with a bonito belly strip. Using a down rigger or planner to get your baits deep is what it takes to get the wahoos attention. Out in depths between 400 to 600 feet of water smaller blackfin tunas have been eating vertical jigs and live pilchards over rock piles and wrecks. The best action is taking place late in the afternoons and during cloudy overcast days. Mutton snappers are starting to show up in better numbers and are much bigger as they prepare for their upcoming spawning season that could start on the next full moon. Look for these tough-fitting bottom feeders in depths between 100 to 200 feet of water. The muttons like to hang out in sand near rocky bottom. A live ballyhoo on a long flourocarbon 40-pound leader with enough lead weight to keep the bait near the bottom makes a great mutton snapper rig and bait. Nighttime reef fishing has been fair. A few snappers plus bluefish, toros, and grunts are being caught in the dredge holes that have some rocky bottom near by. Cut up Spanish sardines work well in these dredge holes.
Low tide at Government Cut Friday night will be at 6:05.
North Biscayne Bay
Sea trout continue to be active over the grass flats of North Bay. Cool water temperatures had the fish more active in the afternoons than in the morning. A lot of the trout have spawned out and are long and skinny. Water temperatures on the flats Tuesday were in the mid 70’s. A few mangrove snappers and small barracudas were mixed in with the trout. Jack crevalles in the one- to six-pound range were eating shrimp on a jig heads in the ocean inlets. Shrimp runs have slowed in Biscayne Bay but the tarpons are still under the bridges looking to pick off the stragglers. Snook have been holding under many of the lighted dock lights in the bay. Low tide at Indian Creek Saturday morning is at 8:23.
South Bay
A low incoming tide in the morning translates into some good bonefishing on the early incoming tide. Look for the bones to be working in as close to the Oceanside island of South Bay shorelines as the tide rises. Cast a large live shrimp in front of that tailing bonefish and feel for the subtle tap that lets you know it’s time to set the hook. Rod-bending action can be had for an assortment of small fish in the Finger Channels. Anchor and chum with frozen blocks of ground-up fish while you fish with live shrimp, pilchards and cut Spanish sardines. Low tide at Soldier Key on Saturday will be at 7:53 in the morning.
Flamingo
Find some clean waters in Florida Bay between Tino Can Channel and Murray Key and you should find redfish, snook and sea trout willing to bite a live shrimp on a jig head. Big winds have muddied the waters along the shorelines from the outside boat ramp north to Big Sable Creek, making fishing tough. Once the winds lay down and the waters green up a bit, look for big tarpons to start feeding again in these areas. The inside waters of Oyster and Whitewater Bays continue to provide action from sea trout, snook and redfish. The best action is happening along hard bottom bars, island points that have a good tidal flow and along island shorelines that have small baitfish present. High tide at Flamingo in Florida Bay on Saturday will be at 8:12 AM and at the mouth of Shark River high tide is at 6:22 AM.
Capt. Alan Sherman shermana@bellsouth.net www.getemsportfishing.com
April 5-7 Report Pompano Beach, Port Everglades, Haulover, Government Cut to Ocean Reef
The spring migration is in full swing and the fishing that one would expect this time of year is happening. Tarpons and snook are in the ocean inlets. Along the beaches, off the Oceanside jetties and piers, Spanish mackerel, bluefish and pompano are being caught. The best action for these fish is happening when the waters are a little dirty. The macs and bluefish are eating live pilchards, shrimp, strips of mackerel bellies and shiny artificial baits. The pompanos are hitting Doc’s Goody jigs tipped with a piece of Fishbites and sand fleas. Further offshore, kingfish, bonitos, sailfish, wahoo and some larger blackfin tuna re being caught. This action is taking place just outside the outer reef in depths from 100 to 200 feet of water. Large live pilchards, threadfin herrings and goggles jacks free-lined or fished from under a kite is getting the most strikes. Drifting fresh ballyhoo and Spanish sardines a few feet below the surface in these depths is getting strikes as well. The best action is coming late in the afternoons. Dolphin fish are being caught in depths from 100 feet of water out to 800 feet of water. These dolphins have been heavy lifters and in larger groups than weeks ago. The dolphins that were caught in the shallower depths hit baits intended for other fish. The dolphins in the deeper waters were under birds and floating debris. The daytime bottom fishing over the deeper rocky ledges and shallower wrecks in depths from 80 feet of water out to 200 feet of water has been better for mutton snappers, yellowtail snappers, cobia, porgies and triggerfish. Vertical jigs, live pinfish, ballyhoo, threadfin herrings and pilchards fished on or near the bottom is getting the bottom-fish strike. The nighttime reef fishing has been fair. Bluefish, snappers, grunts and toros are taking cut baits. The dredge holes near a reef are producing the best catches. High tide at Government Cut Friday night will be at 6:53.
North Biscayne Bay
Large spawning sea trout, some decent size mangrove snappers, small barracudas, jacks and large tarpons are feeding over the grass flats between 79th street to the Venetian Causeway. Live shrimp and pilchards fished under a Cajun Thunder float and jig heads tipped with a soft plastic is getting most of these fish. Fishing live mullets over these flats and in the Intra Coastal waterways north of the 163rd street bridge is resulting in some very large tarpon strikes. Shrimp runs at night are starting to wind down a bit but tarpons and snook continue to be caught around lighted dock lights and along the shadow lines of the bay bridges. High tide at Indian Creek Saturday morning is at 8:35.
South Bay
Bonefishing has been good in the low incoming tides along the Oceanside flats. There has been some bonefish and permit action around the Arsenicker Keys and along the flats near Cutter Bank. Live shrimp and silver dollar crabs will be needed for these fish. The Finger Channels are producing a few snappers, jacks, grunts and barracudas. Live shrimp and cut bait have been getting the strikes. Chumming while at anchor in 10 to 12 feet of water is bringing Spanish mackerel, bluefish, jacks and bluerunners to the boat. These fish can be caught on live shrimp. High tide at Soldier Key on Saturday will be at 7:52 in the morning.
Flamingo
An early morning low tide will allow anglers to target snook, redfish, tarpon and sea trout along the edges of the shallow flats in Florida Bay. Hit the run-offs and drop-offs with a shrimp on a jig head, shrimp under a Cajun Thunder float and soft plastics. Sea trout have been biting in and around Conchie Channel and over the flats south of Sandy Key. Big tarpons have been feeding in the channels between the flats in this area. A live or dead mullet, large crabs, and small ladyfish have been getting the tarpon strikes. The inside waters of Oyster Bay and Whitewater Bays have had some action from sea trout, small snook, redfish, and small Goliath groupers to target. Hit the hard bottom bars, island shorelines, and island points for these fish. Soft plastics and jig heads tipped with a soft plastic has been getting many of these fish. Low tide at Flamingo in Florida Bay on Saturday will be at 9:54 AM and at the mouth of Shark River low tide is at 7:06 AM.
Capt. Alan Sherman shermana@bellsouth.net www.getemsportfishing.com
March 29-31 Deerfield Beach to Key Largo & Flamingo to Cape Sable
NOAA Weather is forecasting winds to be out of the east-northeast late Friday at 15 to 25 knots. Winds start dropping on Saturday at 10 to 15 knots out of the East. Sunday winds will be east-southeast at 5 to 10 knots.
Pompano Beach, Port Everglades, Haulover, Government Cut to Ocean Reef
As we get further into spring, schools of mullet continue to move along the coast as they head North. Big jack crevalles, tarpon, sharks and snook have been waiting to ambush the mullet schools. Catch it right and you could get into a feeding frenzy! Casting artificial baits that resemble mullet can get you into the action. A live mullet is almost a for-sure when cast into the feeding fish. Off the Oceanside piers, beaches and jetties, Spanish mackerel, bluefish and pompano are taking live shrimp and artificial baits that resemble the shrimp. Offshore along the outer reef, kingfish to 20 pounds are being caught trolling Sea Witches tipped with bonito strips. Getting the bait 20 to 30 feet below the surface with a planer enhances your chances of getting more strikes.
A few wahoo and bonitos are eating the Sea Witches. The kings are being caught in depths between 90 to 200 feet of water. Anchoring in 80 to 120 feet of water and chumming with live pilchards is getting the kings into a frenzy. Fishing the pilchards with a trace of wire helps keep the kings from cutting your leader. Almost everyday sailfish are taking baits fished under a kite. In depths between 400 to 600 feet of water blackfin tuna and dolphin fish are being caught. Keep an eye on your sonar and if you see fish markings, drop a vertical jig to the depth of the markings. In most cases these marks are from small- to medium-size tunas. Daytime bottom fishermen working the deeper wrecks have been targeting vermillion snappers, leaving the groupers alone till April 1, when the shallow water grouper season reopens.
Nighttime bottom fishing has been good in the dredge holes that have some rocky structure. Snappers, grunts, bluefish, toros and bluerunners are biting in the holes. Low tide at Government Cut Friday will be at 5:37 in the afternoon.
North Biscayne Bay
Sea trout have been plentiful over the shallow flats of Biscayne Bay. Casting Savage Gear Twitch Reapers, jig heads tipped with soft plastics and live shrimp or pilchards fished under a Cajun Thunder float over the grass flats in the two to four feet of water is producing steady action from sea trout, mangrove snappers and barracudas. The largest sea trout are full of roe and should be released. A few large tarpons are feeding on some of these flats. Nighttime tarpon fishing has been excellent especially when the shrimp are running. Good places to target the tarpons has been the Bear Cut bridge, Rickenbacker Causeway and the MacArthur Causeway. Low tide at Indian Creek Saturday morning is at 7:51.
South Bay
Bonefishing continues to be good on the early morning incoming tides. Good areas to target the bones are the Oceanside flats from Bear Cut to Ocean Reef, Totten Key, Cutter Bank, the Arsenicker Keys and the shorelines along the western shoreline from Dinner Key to Card Sound Road. Spanish mackerel and bluefish are roaming South Bay. Anchor and chum to get the fish to the boat and then bait them with a live shrimp fished under a Cajun Thunder float. Low tide at Soldier Key on Saturday will be at 7:21 in the morning.
Flamingo
High water early in the morning in Florida Bay will have snook, redfish, sea trout and tarpons high up on the flats. Look for snook and redfish along the shorelines from the Florida Bay boat ramp to Shark River. High water will help you get in there safely. Hit the blown-down trees with a shrimp under a cork. Tarpons are starting to gather over the shallow flats south of Sandy Key. A live pinfish under a float works well for these silver kings. The inside waters of Oyster and Whitewater Bays have had lots of sea trout, a few redfish, and large tarpons feeding over the hard bottom bars. High tide at Flamingo in Florida Bay on Saturday will be at 7:43 AM and at the mouth of Shark River high tide is at 7:16 AM.
Capt. Alan Sherman shermana@bellsouth.net www.getemsportfishing.com
March 21-24 Deerfield Beach to Key Largo & Flamingo to Cape Sable
NOAA Weather is forecasting winds to be out of the south to southwest at 20 to 25 knots late Friday. Saturday winds are predicted to be 15 to 25 knots out of the west-southwest and then Sunday 15 to 20 knots out of the west-northwest. The full moon falls on Monday.
Pompano Beach, Port Everglades, Haulover, Government Cut to Ocean Reef
Shrimp continue to run at night. The sizes of the shrimp are smaller. Feeding on these shrimp have been large jack crevalle, medium-size tarpon, snapper, ladyfish, and snook. During the day, snook, large jack crevalle and bluefish have been feeding on live pilchards near the ocean inlets and along the swim buoy line. A few Spanish mackerel, bluefish and bluerunners are being caught off the Oceanside piers and jetties. The offshore bite continues to be spotty with some fishermen doing very well and others struggling.
My son and I fished offshore last week and did very well. We started out with two live wells of frisky pilchards thanks to Lester of Lester’s Live Baits. Headed offshore of Government Cut with 10 to 15 mile an hour northeast breeze. Things started off slow with a few undersize mutton snappers and a very small dolphin caught in 100 feet of water. For the next three hours we fished our way to Haulover Inlet. During that time span we landed a small almoco jack and amberjack and lost a large bottom fish. A few cut offs by kingfish and not much else. There was no surface action at all. There had been some reports over the radio of blackfin tuna, kingfish, sailfish and dolphin fish. That kept our hopes alive.
There was a perfect bluewater edge with a decent north current in 100 to 260 feet of water the entire day. Once off Haulover Inlet things got good late in the day. We got into a hot kingfish bite in 90 feet of water and quickly put four in the box in the 6 to 8 pound range plus a bunch of bonitos and one 22-pound jack crevalle. We released all the bonitos, jacks and many kingfish before pushing offshore in the 240 depth. Drifting inshore and fishing live pilchards at different depths while vertical jigging we ended up with 10 dolphin fish to 9 pounds, more cut offs and one blackfin tuna. Lots of patience and not giving up is what made the difference between catching and just fishing. The nighttime reef fishing has been good when the wind isn’t blowing. The dredge holes in 50 to 60 feet of water has been producing a nice mixed bag of snappers, bluefish, grunts, kingfish, toros and blurrunners. High tide at Government Cut Friday night will be at 8:10.
North Biscayne Bay
Spawning sea trout are scattered over the grass flats with healthy grass. The flats around 36th street seem to be the more productive flats. Live shrimp, small mullets and pilchards are getting the strikes. Look for mullet muds for the best action. Some large jack crevalle, tarpon and big trout are feeding under the mullet schools. The nighttime snook and tarpon bite continues to be good. Look for these fish to be near lighted dock lights and bay bridges. High tide at Indian Creek Saturday morning is at 9:44.
South Bay
Bonefish have been biting over the shallow flats of South Bay. Look for the bones to be making small muds and pushing wakes along the shorelines of the Oceanside flats between Soldiers Key and Elliott Key. There has been some decent bonefish action on the western shorelines between Dinner Key and Card Sound road. The bones target large live shrimp. The Finger Channels are producing a few legal mangrove snappers and yellowjacks. Live shrimp are getting these fish. Spanish mackerel and bluefish can be chummed to the boat and then caught on live shrimp or pilchards fished under a Cajun Thunder float. Anchor in 10 to 22 feet of water and deploy a block of frozen chum. Give the slit 15 to 20 minutes and if no bites move to another area. High tide at Soldier Key on Saturday will be at 9:01 in the morning.
Flamingo
The outside waters of Florida Bay have been clean enough to get some fish to bite as long as you stay near the flats. A few medium-size tarpon were feeding in the run-offs and along the island shorelines. Small snook were scattered in the channels. Decent-size jack crevalles were feeding on the mullet schools. Redfish were scattered. Once you get north of the marina the waters near shore were very dirty and the fishing was tough. A lot of guys were chasing tarpon out over the banks south of Sandy Key. When the waters warm up tarpon have been feeding along the outside shoreline near Shark River. The tarpon are eating live mullets, small ladyfish and pinfish. The inside waters of Whitewater and Oyster Bays have had a decent amount of sea trout, redfish and snook to target. Look for these fish to be feeding along the island shorelines, points and bars. Low tide at Flamingo in Florida Bay on Saturday will be at 11:04 AM and at the mouth of Shark River low tide is at 8:04 AM.
Capt. Alan Sherman shermana@bellsouth.net www.getemsportfishing.com
March 15-17 Deerfield Beach to Key Largo & Flamingo to Cape Sable
NOAA Weather is forecasting winds to be out of the south to southeast at 5 to 10 knots through Saturday night. and on Sunday 10 to 15 knots out of the south.
Pompano Beach, Port Everglades, Haulover, Government Cut to Ocean Reef
The spring migration is underway in South Florida. Schools of mullets, pilchards, glass minnows and threadfin herrings are sliding by our coast as they head north for the summer. On their tails are bluefish, snook, tarpons, Spanish mackerel, kingfish, bonitos, big jack crevalles, blackfin tuna, sailfish and dolphin fish. Kingfish in the 3- to 20-pound range are being caught on live baitfish, fresh ballyhoo and Spanish sardines. Vertical jigs are getting strikes too. Mixed in with the kings have been bonitos. Look for the kings to be feeding inside of 200 feet of water around artificial reefs and the sewer outfalls. Most of the week there has been a very distinct blue water edge that has moved inshore of 200 feet of water at times. In the blue water, dolphin fish in the 2- to 10-pound range have been scattered along the coast. These mahi mahi just show up as singles, doubles and small groups. They grab a few baits and then move on. Sailfish and blackfin tunas have been feeding in the same waters as the mahi mahi. On the bottom over wrecks and ledges, a few mutton and yellowtail snappers were being caught. A lot of small almoco jacks and amberjacks are on the wrecks and eating live baits and vertical jigs. Big bluefish continue to surprise offshore fishermen. These fish are traveling through our area quickly and just show up unexpectedly. The nighttime bottom fishing is producing decent numbers of snappers, bluefish, toros, grunts and kingfish. The dredge holes have been pretty good recently. Low tide at Government Cut Friday night will be at 8:31.
North Biscayne Bay
Baitfish schools are moving through the bay as we speak. Feeding on the baitfish has been big schools jack crevalles, ladyfish, Spanish mackerel and bluefish. Sea trout continue to be caught over the shallow grass flats in the bay. Tarpon have been feeding in areas where mullet schools are present. Nighttime snook and tarpon action is good in the ocean inlets, along lighted bridges and under lighted dock lights. Low tide at Indian Creek Saturday morning is at 9:47.
South Bay
Fishermen will have a good incoming tide in the morning for targeting bonefish on both sides of the South Bay. Look for the bones to be tailing along the shallowest parts of the Oceanside flats and western shoreline flats of South Bay as the tide starts to come in. Once the tide rises look for the bonefish pushing wakes and creating small pancake-sized muds. Large live shrimp and skimmer jigs if presented properly, rarely get refused. The Finger Channels were slow this past week but there were some Spanish mackerel and bluefish to chum to the boat. Anchor your boat in 10 feet of water and drop a block of chum in the water. Give the chum at least 15 minutes to work before changing locations. I like to fish live shrimp or pilchards under a Cajun Thunder float for these fish and it was very productive this past week. Low tide at Soldier Key on Saturday will be at 9:17 in the morning.
Flamingo
Snook, redfish and tarpon have been biting in the channels and along the edges of the flats in Florida Bay. The fish are eating live shrimp, pilchards, pinfish, mullets and a wide variety of artificial baits. The tarpon fishing south of Sandy Key has turned on. Along the mangrove shorelines from East Cape north to Shark River, snook, redfish, sea trout and tarpon are being caught. The best action is happening on the early stages of the incoming tides. Tarpon are feeding in the mouths of the creeks, rivers and canals on the outgoing tide. Live ladyfish and mullets have been getting the strikes. Sharks are taking some of the baits intended for the tarpon. The inside waters are producing redfish, snook and sea trout. Look for these fish to be feeding along the island points and shorelines. Jig heads tipped with a soft plastic have been working on these fish. High tide at Flamingo in Florida Bay on Saturday will be at 9:39 AM and at the mouth of Shark River low tide is at 8:02 AM.
Capt. Alan Sherman shermana@bellsouth.net www.getemsportfishing.com
